L'Chaim
by shoreside
Summary: Takes place during and after the second season episode, The Midterms. Toby learns something surprising about himself.


Title: L'Chaim

Author: mitfordgal

Pairing: CJ/Toby & ensemble

Rating: G

Spoilers: everything up to and especially "The Midterms"

Disclaimer: No one is ever going to mistake me for Aaron Sorkin

Notes: Written for twwminis. severuslovesme wanted gen CJ/Toby, a party, some banter, no character death. I really, really tried to leave the angst behind and write something light and this is the best I could do. Since I'm new to fanfic and writing in general, all feedback/criticism is welcome.

"Toby?"

"Yeah." He didn't lift his head. C.J. came into his office and closed the door.

"How did it go?"

"How did what go?"

"Your meeting with the President."

Now she had Toby's attention. "How did you know that I was meeting with the President?"

C.J. sat down on his couch. "Just because no one thinks it's a good idea for some reporter to write a piece about the psychological effects of the shooting on White House staff, doesn't mean there weren't any."

"Yeah, you said that to me three weeks ago."

"I'm not seeing much improvement."

Toby absently rubbed the top of his head and looked back down at the papers on his desk. "You didn't answer my question. How did you know that I was meeting with the President?"

"I know you Toby Ziegler. You've been walking around here for months trying to work your way around the First Amendment, wanting to lock up anyone who looks at Charlie funny and it's Election Day and you're not making people go outside, turn around three times and spit for tempting the Wrath of the Whatever from High Atop the Thing. You've taken grumpy and moody to a whole new level, my friend... plus, I saw you go in." She grinned.

"He gave me 15 minutes leave," Toby sighed. "He said that it was time to get off the mat." Toby went to join C.J. on the couch. Uncharacteristically, he reached for her hand.

"C.J.?"

"Hmmmm?" C.J., distracted by his closeness, liked the feeling of his hand.

"How did you get over it?"

"The shooting?" Toby nodded. She shrugged.

"I think it helped that I didn't see much of anything. Sam had me down on the ground so fast that everything was a blur. I had to pull myself together to brief the press..." She paused. "I do have nightmares..." Toby's hand squeezed hers and she took a deep breath. "But I make sure the next morning that I call Josh just to chat and that seems to help." She reached up and pulled on Toby's chin so he was looking into her eyes. "It could've been much worse."

"Yeah." He looked down at his lap again.

"Do you have nightmares?" C.J. was not sure how much to push but she could see the pain on Toby's face and the huge dark circles under his eyes, telling her that he wasn't sleeping properly.

"Yeah, mostly about finding Josh too late. He's already dead. Or it's Sam. Or you." Now it was C.J.'s turn to squeeze Toby's hand. He took a swipe at his eyes, embarrassed. "The President says that it feels like this because it was a lynching. He's been watching satellite photos for the West Virginia White Pride Headquarters. He said tomorrow would be better." He turned and C.J. was shocked by the intensity of his eyes. "Do you think it will?"

C.J. put her other hand on top of his. "Yes I do. But not because we've locked up all the bad guys or found a way to get around the First Amendment. It'll get better as Josh gets better. It'll get better each time we choose to love instead of hate. It'll get better when we do the right thing even when it doesn't make any sense." She stood up. "Come on."

Toby allowed himself to be pulled up. "Where are we going?"

"Donna's relaxed the rules and we're all going over to Josh's. There's an unsubstantiated rumor that there will be beer."

"What about the election?"

"I think it's a bit too late to have an influence on the races that are close, regardless of what the President says. Someone will have a cell phone." He still hesitated. C.J. threw in a pout. "Oh, come on, Toby. You haven't been out with us for months. Everybody thinks you're mad at us. Sam is scared to death of you. He's been throwing punctuation around willy-nilly."

Toby allowed himself a small smile. " 'Willy-nilly'? Is that some sort of Ohio catch-phrase?" He got his coat.

C.J. was pleased with herself. "Don't mock Ohio, my friend. It went for the President last election. I'll meet you at your car."

"Oh, I'm driving, am I?" grumbled Toby but C.J. was gone. He gave one last, longing look at his desk and followed.

"God bless America," Josh finished and they all clinked their bottles together. As the beer went down his throat, Toby felt himself relax for the first time in a while. C.J. leaned against him and he grinned to himself as she tried to pretend that she was cold and needed his body warmth.

"Ok, it's time to play the game," chirped Sam, and Toby groaned with the rest. It was something that Sam insisted upon each time they went out for drinks even though it was corny. Toby had no idea where it came from or what it meant to Sam but as long as they respected his superstition and didn't hint at the date they would be free of the White House, he reluctantly went along with it.

"I'll start," Sam said with glee. "On the day after Inauguration, I'm getting on a boat and sailing around the world." He poked Josh.

"Ok, after I rescue Sam from the frigid waters of the Atlantic..." Sam poked him again, harder. "Hey, I was shot, you know. You need to be careful." Sam gave him a dirty look and he relented. "Ok, ok, on the day after Inauguration, I'm booking a ticket to Hawaii to lie on the beach." The others all voiced their disbelief that Josh would lie anywhere but he held firm. Toby didn't miss the furtive look that Josh cast Donna's way.

"Ok, my turn," Donna piped up. "On the day after Inauguration, I'm going to a spa for 8 hours and then I'm going to find a job with a boss that brings me coffee."

"Hey," Josh interjected, indignantly. "I gave you beer tonight."

"That's great, Josh, except for the fact that I bought it, put it in your fridge and served it to you and your friends. By the way, you owe me twenty bucks."

"No way," Josh argued. "You have kept the change for months when I've sent you out to buy things. You owe me over a hundred dollars by now."

"Does anyone else think that they sound like an old married couple?" growled Toby, half-jealously.

"Stop being a spoil-sport," C.J. admonished him. "On the day after Inauguration, Gail and I are in front of the TV, eating chocolate and potato chips and catching up on our soaps." She turned expectantly to Toby.

Toby looked around at the four people sitting on Josh's stoop and once again marveled at the way they had all survived. He wasn't sentimental usually but he felt tears behind his eyes. He blinked rapidly to make them go away.

"On the day after Inauguration," he began and stopped. He didn't want to bring down the mood but he also didn't feel like giving a flippant answer. C.J. pressed closer to him, sensing his hesitation. He took courage from her.

"On the day after Inauguration, I will be very sad to leave my friends behind because they have become family." He paused, swallowed the lump in his throat and lifted up his beer bottle.

"L'Chaim."


End file.
